In this issue

Something to shout about

Independent
schools have long used marketing as a tool to raise their profile and
attract students. Now maintained schools and colleges are recognising
the need to market their institutions. Macia Grebot talks through the
why and how of influencing public perception.

Every school and college, irrespective of whether it actively
promotes itself, has a reputation. Some are good; some are bad. Some
are deserved; some are not.

Schools and colleges may work hard to raise their performance
results, to motivate students and to improve behaviour but still find
they have a poor reputation in the community.

Opinions are formed from a multitude of details - the way the
grounds are kept, the state of the buildings and entrance foyer,
students' behaviour outside the gates, the uniform (and the way it is
worn) and the institution's publications.

Yet, many schools are unaware of the subliminal messages they
convey. Take, for example, letters that are not proof read before
sending out. A spelling mistake in a letter may seem to be a minor
point but it will not paint a positive picture to parents or
prospective students.

Good marketing goes beyond a strong prospectus or a whizzy website.
In successful organisations, it is found throughout and beyond, and it
ultimately comes back to everyone being focused on meeting users'
needs. It is strategically planned, reflects the vision, ethos and
aspiration of the institution and is consistently implemented.

Marketing, essentially, is all about communication. And effective
communication is critical to building a positive reputation, as well as
maintaining it. Worldwide research indicates that reputation plays an
integral role in the recruitment of both students and staff - as most
school/college leaders can attest.

Word of mouth

Reputations are built through practical experience, hard work and
word of mouth, with the last being undoubtedly the most powerful
communicator. Unfortunately, although it can be one of the most
effective tools for building a reputation, it is also one of the most
difficult to influence.

Perceptions of parents and prospective students about the reputation
of their local school/college will all too often be built on hearsay
rather than actual facts. Parents and students are more cynical than in
the past and increasingly reluctant to accept the views of 'experts'.
They prefer to research information themselves and seek the views of
friends, relatives and neighbours.

Such was the case for a school in south London, which was
undersubscribed with a historically poor reputation in the area. The
school had focused successfully on improving behaviour, teaching and
learning, and test results had been on the rise.

However because of low numbers of pupils across all year groups, the
school was subject to a high number of casual entries and it had a
reputation for instability and poor outcomes as compared to nearby
schools.

A strategy was put in place to review perceptions of the school,
including a reassessment of all aspects of communications and their
distribution. From this, a conscious decision was made to move the
emphasis away from resources and facilities at the school to the ethos
it offered and the opportunities for attainment.

A series of visits to primary schools by key members of staff began
establishing and building relationships with feeder staff, pupils and
parents.

The school made it a priority to ensure that all publications were
of high quality with key messages about achievement. Good news stories
appeared on the school website, in school newsletters and were sent to
the local media.

The school's profile started to improve. Open events attracted a
high number of prospective parents and there was wide use of the
up-to-date and active school website by parents, prospective and
current students. The school is maintaining numbers in an area of
falling demographic trends and with a changing pupil profile.

Get the story right

Schools and colleges will find that they already carry out a range
of marketing activities - the prospectus, open events, newsletters and
parents' evenings.

The important thing is to co-ordinate these activities so that
consistent, accurate and positive messages are being passed to a whole
range of target audiences - this is the essence of a marketing strategy.

The name, logo and strapline should be evident on all publications
and the agreed font should be used throughout. This visual
representation aims not only to identify the school, but also to tell
others something about its culture, ethos and quality.

One school in a highly multi-cultural area of London adopted this
approach when a new headteacher was appointed. The head was determined
to move the school from a position where very few pupils achieved any
GCSEs to a place where all pupils were expected to learn and "where
failure was not an option".

The school had very clear objectives that underpinned the
development of the marketing strategy. Work was done to establish the
school identity with a logo - consistently branded through all printed
and electronic materials, providing a strong visual representation of
the school.

Parents had access to school materials in their first language and
the cultural diversity was celebrated in all communications. Parents
were provided with many opportunities to come into school through adult
education, community lets and events.

Relationships were built with community leaders and with local
newspapers and radio by appointing a deputy head as the community
development officer. The school's 'highlights of the year' publication
was distributed to all the local media, including print and radio.

Over a period of one academic year the school exceeded its own
targets for attainment, with significant increases in numbers of pupils
achieving five A*-C grades at GCSE.

Carefully planned and widely distributed annual reviews, which
celebrated the impressive turn around of the school, raised a lot of
interest. The head was invited to a range of interviews that led to a
regular radio slot.

Marketing budget

A marketing strategy should also ensure that activities are planned
throughout the year and every element monitored and evaluated on an
ongoing basis.

It is important to set aside a marketing budget - anywhere from
£5,000 to £25,000 depending on the size of the institution and job at
hand. The amount does not need to be huge but it should be planned for
quality with cost effectiveness.

The budget should include expenditure on photography; design and
print, including prospectus and handbooks; developing and maintaining
an up-to-date website; advertising; and one-off projects. Involving
staff, students, parents and the local community can help keep costs
down.

As part of planning and budgeting for a marketing strategy, a
school/college will want to consider its community, any competitive
issues and emerging opportunities, the development/improvement plan and
its achievement targets.

The marketing strategy is most effective when it is integral to the
institution's work and culture and has at its core the concept and
practice of a responsive school. Research has shown that institutions
which promote themselves effectively also see a knock-on effect on
students' pride in their institution, staff morale and recruitment,
parental involvement and student attendance.

Of course it is not that simple but there is a correlation, as one
school found which had been in special measures for a number of years
and had a very poor reputation in the community. This wasn't helped by
a television documentary that portrayed the school as out of control
and providing very poor education.

The school began to improve pupil attainment and GCSE results and
staff were committed to the school. However, significant numbers of its
community chose to send their children elsewhere and link primary
schools were reluctant to recommend the school.

The school decided to undertake a qualitative and quantitative review of a wide range of activity, including communication.

Staff engagement sessions were held which led to a school-based
marketing and communications group, with staff keen to contribute to
the project.

Open events provided excellent opportunities to promote the richness
of the curriculum at the school and its successful sixth form. Fully
prepared sixth form students met and registered visitors and acted as
tour guides.

Visitors were treated to dance and drama performances. Activities
and displays were used to draw attention to the range and extent of the
curriculum, including extra curricular activities.

The prospectus was reviewed to ensure that the content and presentation were clear and readable, with strong supporting images.

Handbooks for parents and pupils were consistent with the prospectus
in look but contained practical information for those starting at the
school.

Reviews were produced that contained a range of good news stories
about pupils' achievements across the curriculum and in the community,
and a website was designed which reflected the look and content of the
published materials.

The destinations of leavers were highlighted and the sixth form developed its own section on the school website.

Staff morale has increased, quality events run throughout the
academic year and the school has been effective in raising its profile
in the community. Local perceptions of the school are changing and
numbers of first choice applications have increased.

Teaching and learning will always remain the core business of
schools and colleges. But it is no longer enough to provide a good
quality education experience and assume that a positive reputation in
the community will follow. Co-ordinated marketing and communication
ensures that hard work and achievements are recognised well beyond the
school/college gates.

And, as one might imagine, an institution that has a positive
reputation ultimately becomes a more vibrant and confident place in
which to teach and learn, attracting and retaining students, parents
and staff.

Further resources

Keys2marketing is a not-for-profit marketing association for
maintained sector schools supported by London Challenge. Membership, by
subscription, enables schools to access advice, support and training in
marketing and communications. Visit www.keys2marketing.org.uk

Macia Grebot is the co-author of Promoting Your School,
part of the Management Pocketbook Series. She is also a partner of
Grebot Donnelly Associates, an education marketing and communications
consultancy.